Ball bearings are typically used in mechanical devices to transfer sliding friction into rolling friction for reducing the amount of friction that might otherwise occur between moving parts. A common application, and one in which the present invention is intended for use, involves positioning a ball bearing on a rotating shaft which is mounted to a fixed support structure such as a structural panel through which the shaft extends. Such applications are common in heavy machinery such as agricultural machines and construction equipment.
The ball bearing assembly generally includes an outer race and an inner race and a plurality of ball elements disposed between and engaging the inner and outer races to permit free rotation between the races. The bearing races are typically press-fit into securing engagement with adjacent structure making it very difficult to remove the bearing such as for servicing or replacement. Bearings so installed typically are removed by prying the bearing from its housing and from the shaft on which it is positioned by the application of considerable force. This frequently results in damage to the bearing and/or to the surrounding structure. It may also be necessary to cut or break the bearing assembly apart in order to separately extract the various bearing components from its housing and shaft. Bearing removal thus frequently results in damage or destruction to the bearing as well as to the surrounding structure and is labor intensive and time consuming and thus expensive. Moreover, an asymmetrical force is typically applied to the bearing during removal, increasing the likelihood of damage to the bearing and rendering bearing extraction even more difficult. Finally, prior art bearing pullers are generally limited to use with bearings having a given diameter. Examples of bearing pullers can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,171,590; 1,367,016; 2,050,005; and 5,255,435. U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,883 is an example of a prior art puller such as for an ignition lock.
The present invention represents an improvement over the prior art by providing a bearing puller of simplified design and operation which engages and applies a symmetrical force either to a tapered eccentric flange extending from the bearing's inner race or to the ball groove on the bearing's inner race for removing the bearing from a shaft.